Packing House Restaurant sells

The Packing House Restaurant was recently sold with the ownership transfer scheduled to occur on July 1. The establishment, housed in the formidable 1930 El Real Hotel with its curious wine bottle stained glass windows, is located in the heart of Fallbrook and has long been a gathering place for locals and visitors alike. The restaurant at 125 South Main Street is currently owned by Jason Klingsberg, who told the Village News, “Selling the business was not an easy decision.”

“It needed more attention,” he said. “I couldn’t leave it the way it was. I needed to revamp it.” Knowing that the Packing House was a Fallbrook landmark, Klingsberg took great care in selecting a new owner who would understand the dynamics involved. “It is sad to see things changing, but I am grateful for all the great relationships that have been built,” Klingsberg noted.

The new owners, Ned and Brenda Giblin, also own R. O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub and Steakhouse in Escondido and Tom Giblin’s Irish Pub in Carlsbad. The Fallbrook pub and restaurant will be named J.J. ‘Purty’ Landers Irish Pub and Restaurant, named after Brenda’s uncle, who was quite an Irish “football” (soccer) celebrity in the 1930s.

The building itself is still owned by the former owner of the Packing House, Patrick Girard, and the new owner has obtained permission to renovate. During a portion of the renovation time the bar will be open and offering an abbreviated menu selection.

The new owners plan to keep the exterior the same, changing only the sign, explained Brendan Kennedy, spokesperson for the Giblins, who are currently away. The interior, however, will undergo extensive renovation before the projected opening toward the “middle or end of August,” said Kennedy.

The Giblins plan to build an enclosed patio dining area in the back and “brighten up the interior,” Kennedy explained. If the Giblins are successful in their renovations guests will feel that they have just stepped into a Maeve Binchy novel or ‘across the pond’ to Ireland. The pub will offer traditional Irish food as well as soups and sandwiches. “It will be more upscale than a pub, but reasonably priced,” Kennedy mentioned.

J.J. Landers is now taking applications for staff; please contact Brendan Kennedy at [email protected] if interested. “We are excited about opening in Fallbrook,” he said.